World War 3: Pakistan to buy deadly drones from China as India secures S-400 missile
PAKISTAN is ready to buy an arsenal of deadly drones from China as fears of a global arms race escalate.
Wing Loong II UAV showcased at Dubai Airshow
The nuclear power is set to snap up 48 state-of-the art Wing Loong II UAV unmanned military drones in what would be Beijing’s biggest such arms-export deal.
With a length of 11 metres and a 20.5 metre wingspan, the Wing Loong II drones can carry laser-guided air-to-surface missiles.
They can also be mounted with laser and GPS-guided bombs as well as air-to-surface missiles to blast targets.
A special anti-tank missile - the Chinese equivalent of the American-made Hellfire missile - can also be launched.
It comes as India announced it was buying five regiments of S-400 air defence missile systems from Russia for around £4.1b ($5.4b).
The long-range, surface-to-air missile systems can destroy cruise and ballistic weapons.
Pakistan’s apparent decision to bolster its defence capabilities with Chinese weapons could challenge US military domination, it is feared.
Military expert Song Zhongping told China’s The Global Times: ”US drones like the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper are technologically more advanced, but Washington limits their export.
“Chinese drones will eventually be more successful in the international market in the future as they perform similarly at a lower cost.”
News of the deal was announced on the Pakistan Air Force PAF Sherdils Aerobatic Team Facebook page.
The unmanned Wing Loong II can be used for reconnaissance as well as combat operations.
It can also be laucnhed for disaster assessment, meteorological operations and environmental protection.
India signs £4 billion deal with Russia for missile defence tech
Chinese drones will eventually be more successful in the international market in the future
Official figures on the weapons’ deal between China and Pakistan were not disclosed, according to The Global Times.
The Wing Loong II can fly for 20 hours with a maximum speed of 230mph (370kph).
Last year, China announced that Saudi Arabia is considering buying up to 300 Wing Loong II drones.
The drones have an operational radius of 1,500 kilometre